The Oakland A's selected Austin Beck with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft. The 18-year-old is an outfielder from North Davidson High School in North Carolina.
After taking college players in the first round of the last three drafts, the A’s went back to the high school hitting ranks for the first time since 2013 when they chose outfielder Billy McKinney. The year before that, in 2012, they had three 1st-round picks and used them to take high schoolers infielders Addison Russell, Daniel Robertson, and Matt Olson.
Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55
After Beck tore the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee last May, he missed the entire showcase circuit last summer and fall.